RESIDENTS living in and around Lorraine Avenue, Umbilo, can breathe a sigh of relief after a wrecking yard that was established in the road was finally closed down.
In January 2017, resident, Helen Noble reported that the vacant piece of land in the road had suddenly, without warning, been turned into a car graveyard for vehicles involved in collisions.
Tow trucks arrived throughout the night and in the early hours of the morning to dump cars on the site, which caused a noise disturbance and made the area incredibly unsightly. She said at the time that children living in the block of flats overlooking the land had been traumatised by cars brought in that were covered in blood.
Residents and ward councillor, Mmabatho Tembe campaigned for a year to have the vehicles removed, and finally this month the cars were removed.
ALSO READ: Residents object to car wreck yard
Tembe said she had contacted Eric Parker, regional co-ordinator for Land Use Management Central South, regarding the lot last year and was told the land was zoned for residential use and investigation and enforcement would be taken up.
“The issue sat for a long time as there is a backlog of Land Use Management issues, but I am happy to say enforcement had the cars removed from the plot last week. I thank the residents who persisted with the issue and put pressure on the department,” she said.
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